From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi/Bengaluru, Jan 20: In what could turn out to be potential solution for ending the garbage menace in Bengaluru and other cities, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday has approved a new policy on promotion of manufacture and utilisation of City Compost.

The Narendra Modi regime’s decision taken at the Cabinet meeting was announced by Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister H N Ananth Kumar, who also represents Bengaluru in the Parliament, at a news conference. Union Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Power Minister PiyushGoyal were also present

Under the policy, a provision has been made for Market development assistance of Rs. 1500 per tonne of city compost for scaling up production and consumption of the product.

The market development assistance would lower MRP of city compost for farmers.

Compost from city garbage would not only provide carbon and primary/secondary nutrients to the soil but also help in keeping the city clean, Kumar explained.

Eco-Mark standard for City Compost would ensure that environment friendly quality product reaches the farmers, he said.

Composting can reduce the volume of waste to landfill/dumpsite by converting the waste into useful by-products. This also prevents production of harmful greenhouse gases (especially methane) and toxic material that pollutes groundwater apart from polluting the environment. City Waste composting would also generate employment in urban areas.

Fertilizer companies and marketing entities will also co-market City Compost with chemical fertilizers through their dealers' network.

The companies will also adopt villages for promoting the use of compost. Government Departments and Public Sector undertakings will also use City Compost for their horticulture and related uses.

The minister said concerned Ministry/Department will carry out IEC campaigns to educate farmers on the benefits of city compost and will take steps to increase setting up of compost plants across all States.

The Agricultural Extension Machineries including Krushi Vignyan Kendras of Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) will also make special efforts in this regard.

Agriculture Universities and KVKs will also take up field demonstration activities using City compost for which Departments of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare will assign targets to them.

A joint mechanism will be set up by Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Urban Development and Department of Agriculture to monitor and facilitate availability of adequate quantity of City Compost at terms mutually agreeable between compost manufacturers and Fertilizer Marketing companies. They will also be authorised to resolve any co-ordination related issue that may arise, the minister said.

Initially, marketing and promotion of city compost is proposed to be done through the existing fertilizer companies.

Compost manufacturers and other marketing entities recognized by the concerned State Government may also be included for the purpose with the approval of Department of Fertilisers. The market development assistance shall be routed through the entity which is marketing it, Kumar added.